New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-20

she was gracious and condescending. smoothing
away dfcuties, making, as shs said, "the best of
things"
She emphasized Giuseppe's good character Of
the Russian by declaring he was "weel-faured
mon with vera smooth tongue in his head"
felt such recommendations from both my SER
wants must be sufficient. The newcomer must
be engaged.
| He was speedily brought into my presence. |
| Serge Kounoff by name Russian Tartar by birth.
1 asked him in Russian a few questions % which |
he answered promptly and pleasantly. He knew |
the country well Was accustomed to travel. /
Was convinced he could make her Excellency
| comfortable. His master. General Of Division. /
had command in the Caucasus lie, Serge. had
| to GO 10 Moscow and was glad OF employ /
but in hurry. If the gracious lady wished
| to travel slowly
| lie n eood-naturcd looking fellow. should
have thought his face vacant and rather silly
but for remarkable pair of little Tartar eyes,
so wonderfully sharp and piercing that they
seemed IN an instant to have noted everything III
| the room. Every. object before, on either side,
even behind him, had been embraced In a series
of rapid and intelligent clences.
III was fortunate could sneak little Russian.
| Tor his English WAS Of the weakest description,
and OF French and German he professed to be alb
solutely ignorant. lie not, he said. courier
only private servant. So the matter
| ranged and he entered my service at once. To
| my great relief Sarah really seemed to like him
| Never before bad she displayed sucl. good will
| uoWdru any foreigner. She understood his broken
| English while he OWNED her queer Scottish
| phrases with cnual readiness So my good Giu-
sepre departed, and thanks to his care. though
| regretted him much still as far as comfort was
concerned l was as well attended TO as when he
\ was with ma
Days passed and got better but as my health
! improved. my anxiety 10 be gone also gained
i strength. All my friends had left Yalta,
| and weakness and loneliness caused time to hang
heavy on my hands, The fever had had IS also
aDt fN rohi nd nd To In.
dulge In morbid fears and fancics.
/ Another reason, though one j scarcely acllnowl-
i edged even TO myself. was that did not like my
new servant Notwithstanding his many good
4 qualities as much as had hoped to do. 1t seems
contradiction. but he really too clever. too
/ obl1gfng. He seemed ever on the watch to obey
my slightest behest. lie was ubiquitous. He
OWNED my wishes almost before they were ut
tered. He always everything. lie always
heard everything. lie ALWAYS knew everything
and bean to feel worried, almost irritated. at
such constant surveillance. Yet what could do
; How could resent service that came from zeal
and fron such desire to be useful and oblis-
ingP
doctor agreed that IL l could get comfortable
carriage and would make but short journeys
might leave rs soon as I pleased. The energetic
Serco speedily found such carriage and / SET
. tied to go first to s. and there make halt OF
E some days. The evening before my departure
D went for the last time TO favorte spot COM
manding a superb view Of sea and mountains. FOR
some time sat there moionlesS, revelling in the
perfect beauty and charm Of the scene. then lcav-
ing my little carriage | entered the garden OF
I villa with whose owners / was acquainted. The
t family had returned to ST. Petersburg the
e house closed and believed empty. What
was therefore my surprise to see Sercc, whom l
r had left at homo packing. descend the steps OF
e the veranda in company with gentleman
G whose face was familiar TO me although could
7 not recall the name. The two were speaking to-
e gether earnestly so lntenlly indeed that though
e they Passed tolcrably near, neither saw me.
c All the way home / puzzled myself over the
l. familiar face made careful mental revision
t Of all the acquaintance had had at Yalta, but
r no, this somewhat peculiar countenance did not
d belong to any one had known hero.
o When l eentered my rooms Serge was dill
gently at work. IL he had never been away, and
s when questioned him as to whom he had been
q talking with at Villa p it struck me that he
was inclined to deny the fact OF having been
there At any rate he hestaed a moment an /
then said he had been asking the owner OF the
carriage about some alterations that were needed.
81 As he spoke however full RECOGNITION Of the face
: flashed upon me. Tie stranger was Count Xavier
Pereteltof. somewhat aged, OF course. and there
fore to certain extent altered, but the counten-
V ance too remarkable 10 be ever completely
q CHANGED.
+ "No. no - exclaimed. "the gentleman saw
lis Count Peretcl<ofY, an old acquaintance whom
|, have not met for years Should he be in Yalta. j
Il
@ once and ask him 10 do me the favor OF calling
q upon me this evening
"The gracious lady shall be obeyed but there
h is no one OF that name now in lalta. The person
to whom your servant speaking IS Alexis
Petewitch StroCoff, and he by this time Is already
= on his way to Sevastople" ! said no more but ]
- was nevertheless convinced the stranger whom ]
had ny former acquaintance. Count
| peretckoff | could not be mistaken. Not only
= worc Tie features similar, but the figure. move
u mcnts and the peculiar turn Of the head were
" Identical
hardly knew Why wished TO see Count Pc
r retc1on again. / had never known him well
IS nor had 1 much liked him. The wish probably
e prose from his being associated with days long
e past. and also | thought lie might have told me
e something about my old friend Nadine | hoped,
however, TO see her ere long, and in the hustle
r and business OF preparing for a long journey i
n speedily forgot this little incident
4, Serge proved himself invaluable courier
d But notwthst andins al his care my health suf-
re fercd from the journey. Far from tho change
lr being Of use, the attacks Of fever were more
e frequent and more severe, and rendered me day
e. by day weaker and more depressed.
y On the evening Of the fourth day felt so i'll
rs that continued ayelling seemed almost insup
I'd portable, and yet, where to stop The post
&c house at which we had arrived was the most
miserable place l had yet seen. The house be-
nc lOnged to the staroste, chief Of the vii.
"a | la%c. His wife had died but a few hours pre-
= vious to our arrival, and her CORPSE was lying
= | in adjoining chamber The women assem-
q bled were crying and bowling in frightful
% manner Of the men, including the bcrcavcd
o | husband. not one seemed even partially sober
e The brandy bottles were handed about, drink
q being literally offered to all newcomers.
q never saw 50 revolving, so degrading scene
= | 10 remain there impossible.
. i groaned forth my desire TO continue our jour
70 noy, though 1 knew the next post was a distant
one the roads were terrible and every jolt caused
20 me exquisite pain
is The horses being harnessed when Sarah
In jumped out 10 see if the carriage could not be
drawn into some yard little removed from the